Newbie contemplating renting a car, staying onsite

[mickeyplanner]

We are staying at POR in March and are contemplating renting a car for this trip. We have never rented a car while at WDW and have always used DME and onsite transportation. But we stayed at POR for part of our split stay two weeks ago for only three days and found the buses to be difficult to utilize with a double stoller and the building we stayed (#17) did not have an elevator. This time we have booked a Royal Guest Room and I hoping the building will have an elevator. We were spoiled when we moved to BLT for the rest of our stay by using the monorail or walking but our DD really wants to stay in the Royal Guest rooms.
I am looking for any advice on renting a car....do you pay for parking anywhere on property if you stay on site?
We booked this trip through AAA, will they have better discounts for car rental/parking?
What about car seats, our children are 5 and 1, will be be charged for them? What to do with morning character breakfasts at resorts before entering the parks?
Please pass along any advice you would like to share.

 

[Ed J]

Parking id free when you stay on site. I've used both forms of transpo and prefer to drive to all parks except the MK.

Check out Alamo's insiders club for deals on rental cars, it's free to join. Last trip I had a pick of full size cars for 13.80 per day out the door.

 

[mickeyplanner]

How do you get from the parking lots to the parks? I am wondering if I am still going to have problems with the double stroller.

Thanks for the tip on Alamo. I also read that I can pay an additional $10 a day per car seat. If that is the case I might look at $35 a day for the rental?

 

[wdwrich]

Getting from parking lots to the parks will depend on how far from the gate you park. Close to the gate- just walk, otherwise hop on the tram. At MK parking, you walk or tram to the TTC, then ride the ferry or monorail to the park entrance.

FWIW, we much prefer to have a car at WDW. Traveling around the property (especially from resort to resort) is more convenient if you have a car.

 

[mickeyplanner]

How does the parking tram work? Will I have to break down our stoller and wait in line for a tram? Do the trams get as crowded as the buses?

Still trying to weigh the pros vs. cons. Right now I am wondering if we should just use cabs and Disney transporation if we are looking at $35 a day for the rental car?

 

[wdwrich]

Our kids are grown, so it's been a while, but I believe you need to take children out of strollers to ride the parking trams. Compared to the busses, the tram rides are much shorter and since they are open-sided, they are easier to board.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Yes the kids will need to be out of the stroller to ride the tram. The stroller needs to be folded up to go on the tram. You will have to walk to the end of row where you parked the car and wait for the tram to come by and pick you up. At the end of the night the wait for for a tram can be crowded if you are leaving when the park closes because just like you, everyone else is trying to get to their car.

 

[Ed J]

You said in your opening post you booked through AAA, that was a good move. Ask for if they don't automatically give you a AAA diamond pass. This pass will allow you to park at 3 of the 4 parks close enough to not need the tram. As far as I can tell youll have to breakdown the double no matter how you go to the MK.

 

[mickeyplanner]

I was wondering if AAA still offers the diamond parking card in 2012. I will have to call my agent today and find out. HOw close is the monorail to the MK parking lot, could I avoid the tram then?

 

[wdwrich]

HOw close is the monorail to the MK parking lot, could I avoid the tram then?

The MK parking lot is huge. At times when we've arrived there very early, we got a spot right near the TTC and did not need to use the tram as it was a very short walk to the monorail and ferry.

 

[pepe of ohio]

As far as I'm concerned, either way is a problem with a stroller....folding it for the tram or Disney transportation, or folding it for your rental....it still has to be folded and the tram does not have alot of space.....

We've taken 45 trips to WDW, and even when our children were young, never rented a car...always and still use Disney transportation...not that big a deal to fold a stroller, as long as it isn't some cadillac model with alot of bells and whistles...we always used an umbrella stroller back in the day....even now with our granddaughter going, always use the transportation the resort provides, whether boat or monorail or bus....not that hard.....as long as you anticipate some wait at the stop and are prepared to fold the stroller way before boarding, and aren't using the stroller as a pack mule, it's doable....we'll never rent a car.....just not worth the added expense, using the trams, finding gas and parking at the resort to bother with......

 

[sharadoc]

You said in your opening post you booked through AAA, that was a good move. Ask for if they don't automatically give you a AAA diamond pass. This pass will allow you to park at 3 of the 4 parks close enough to not need the tram. As far as I can tell youll have to breakdown the double no matter how you go to the MK.

You could walk onto the ferry with the stroller still open. Plenty of room there.

 

[Ed J]

^ good plan

 

[mickeyplanner]

As far as I'm concerned, either way is a problem with a stroller....folding it for the tram or Disney transportation, or folding it for your rental....it still has to be folded and the tram does not have alot of space.....

We've taken 45 trips to WDW, and even when our children were young, never rented a car...always and still use Disney transportation...not that big a deal to fold a stroller, as long as it isn't some cadillac model with alot of bells and whistles...we always used an umbrella stroller back in the day....even now with our granddaughter going, always use the transportation the resort provides, whether boat or monorail or bus....not that hard.....as long as you anticipate some wait at the stop and are prepared to fold the stroller way before boarding, and aren't using the stroller as a pack mule, it's doable....we'll never rent a car.....just not worth the added expense, using the trams, finding gas and parking at the resort to bother with......

WHere do you typically stay?

Now that we have two little ones and are using a double stoller, I am a little concerned that if they both fall asleep on the bus....how will we get the stroller off the bus? When it was just one child and a single stoller we never gave it a thought and never had a problem. But on our trip earlier this month, if we did not have extended family on vacation with us, I am not sure we would have been able to manage two sleeping kids and the double stroller. I am hoping that the Royal Guest Rooms at POR make it worth the stay instead of staying at BLT.

Does anyone know if the buildings where the Royal Guest rooms are proposed will have elevators? That will make a big difference, I also wonder which buildings would be the best for location/proximity to a bus stop?

 

[mom2agirlandboy]

WHere do you typically stay?

Now that we have two little ones and are using a double stoller, I am a little concerned that if they both fall asleep on the bus....how will we get the stroller off the bus? When it was just one child and a single stoller we never gave it a thought and never had a problem. But on our trip earlier this month, if we did not have extended family on vacation with us, I am not sure we would have been able to manage two sleeping kids and the double stroller. I am hoping that the Royal Guest Rooms at POR make it worth the stay instead of staying at BLT.

Does anyone know if the buildings where the Royal Guest rooms are proposed will have elevators? That will make a big difference, I also wonder which buildings would be the best for location/proximity to a bus stop?

maybe you can put a request for your room? that is another option but I know it is not guaranteed

last year when we went to Disney, we ask for ground floor room near the parking and we got it, it was much easier for both dh and I as we didn't need to climb any stairs when my 2 kids are asleep.

 

[pepe of ohio]

WHere do you typically stay?

Now that we have two little ones and are using a double stoller, I am a little concerned that if they both fall asleep on the bus....how will we get the stroller off the bus? When it was just one child and a single stoller we never gave it a thought and never had a problem. But on our trip earlier this month, if we did not have extended family on vacation with us, I am not sure we would have been able to manage two sleeping kids and the double stroller. I am hoping that the Royal Guest Rooms at POR make it worth the stay instead of staying at BLT.

Does anyone know if the buildings where the Royal Guest rooms are proposed will have elevators? That will make a big difference, I also wonder which buildings would be the best for location/proximity to a bus stop?

The bigger steel boat to the MK takes roll on strollers...smaller wooden on doesn't....you can boat to CR from WL, and gain access to the monorail and switch at the TTC for EPCOT......quite easy....WL, all under one roof, a deluxe but not at the monorail resort rates......we spend alot of time in the MK, and the boat is a big plus, pleasant ride and you can also take a bus to MK if you so choose.....and they do have elevators....

For that matter, you can walk to the MK from the CR, fairly long but very doable...but as with WL...the convenience of a close resort comes with a price...more money than a mod but it's hotel vs motel enviroment....for sanity and convenience we go the money and stay in the down scaled WL...

Just to add, we don't go to WDW every weekend or twice a year (maybe sometimes) so the little more we spend for the deluxe is worth the convenience of it's location, set up and amenities....

 

[Lisa71]

This is just my opinion, but we rented the double stroller called the City Mini and it is a breeze to collapse flat...cheaper than a rental car and easy to use. No worries about parking, walking, getting to and from. Our kids were 3 and 4 and while it was still collapsing a stroller we plan to do it again as our son has CP and cannot walk very long.